Belles on their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth Page B

with Tom, so he wasn't included on the shopping trip. Mother thought that, being thirteen, he was old enough to get his own clothes, anyway.
    In the subway on the way uptown from Barclay Street, the boys agreed that any suit bought would have to please not only its immediate possessor, but the next youngest brother who would be its ultimate owner.
    It was still early when they arrived at the store, and the boys' department was nearly deserted. A middle-aged salesman, pleased at the prospect of starting the day with such a large group of potential customers, hurried up to Mother. He was precise, plump, and wore a hearing aid, which fitted over his head earphones-fashion.
    "Hello there, fellows," he said heartily, in a tone designed to show that he was nothing but a great big boy himself. "Well, school's about to start, eh? I know you're all looking forward to it." He laughed and rumpled Bob's head, and Bob hid behind Mother.
    "What will it be this morning?" the salesman asked Mother hopefully, "suits for all the boys?"
    "Yes, please," said Mother, while the salesman, obviously figuring that this was his lucky day, beamed happily.
    Mother reached into her brief-case-sized pocketbook, pulled out two blueprints, the first draft of a speech she was writing, a copy of the magazine Iron Age, a shawl she was crocheting for her mother, some socks she had darned on the boat, and finally her black note book. There is never anything very efficient about Mother's pocketbook.
    "Let's see," she said, reading from Ernestine's list, "five suits, fifteen neckties, twenty suits of underwear, twenty-five pairs of socks, twenty shirts, and five pairs of shoes."
    "Yes, Madam," smiled the salesman. It was a big, sincere smile, which was fortunate, because it was his last until the boys departed, and possibly his last for a matter of weeks.
    "Do they let him play that radio when he's supposed to be working?" Dan asked Mother.
    "That's not a radio, dear," said Mother, who was embarrassed but believed in answering all questions from the floor. "It's a hearing aid. So of course, it's not polite to talk about it."
    "Oh, I'm sorry," said Dan, and then whispering, "What's a hearing aid?"
    "He's a little deaf, dear," Mother whispered back. "So don't say anything more about it."
    "What did she say?" Fred and Jack whispered to Dan.
    "Deaf as a doornail," Dan whispered back. "Don't make him feel bad about it."
    "If you fellows will step this way," said the salesman, "I think we can find something."
    "We don't want to pay more than $17.50 for the suits," said Bill, who had been coached by the girls. "And we want them with two pairs of knickers."
    Fred nudged Bill and whispered: "Deaf."
    "We don't want to pay more than $17.50 for the suits," Bill shouted, as loud as he could.
    "I know you don't, Sonny," the salesman said patiently. "I heard you. You don't really have to shout."
    "I'm sorry," said Bill, glaring at Fred.
    "Look, fellows," the man said. "It's all right about the hearing aid. Lots of boys ask about it. I'm going to show you how it works."
    He explained that he kept dry cell batteries in his hip pocket, and showed the boys the volume-control rheostat in the side pocket of his coat.
    "Now let's get down to business, fellows," he said, swinging out a rack of clothes. He turned to Mother. "We have a special sale on this group, Madam."
    "How much?" said Bill.
    "These have been marked down from $30," the salesman continued, ignoring Bill, "and they're a real buy. Madam."
    "How much?" said Bill.
    "They're $19.50," he admitted, glaring.
    "I'm afraid that's too much, sir," Bill said. "We want something cheaper."
    "I don't know, dear," Mother put in. "We might look at them, and see whether you like them."
    "We don't like them," Bill shook his head. "Ernestine might not object too much, but Martha would holler. She made us promise."
    "I guess you're right," Mother agreed.
    "Ernestine?" asked the salesman. "Martha?"
    "Ern's chairman of the purchasing committee,